SENSORY STIMULI TO INCREASE ACCURACY OF SLEEP STAGING

• US 20150359482A1
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Published: 12/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V., Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (University of Wisconsin System)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V., Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (University of Wisconsin System)
• Inventors: GARCIA MOLINA, Gary Nelson, PASTOOR, Sander Theodoor, PFUNDTNER, Stefan, RIEDNER, Brady Alexander, BELLESI, Michele, TONONI, Giulio
• Granted Patent: US 10,064,578 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/377 using evoked responses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/398 Electrooculography [EOG], e.g. detecting nystagmus; Electroretinography [ERG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Systems and methods to detect sleep stages of a subject analyze physiological parameters of the subject in combination with a subject'"'"'s reactions to stimuli of increasing intensity and/or stimuli having different modalities. Stimuli are provided until a predetermined level of probability is reached for the accuracy of an estimation of the sleep stage of the subject.

Claims

1. A system to detect sleep stages of a subject, the system comprising:

a stimulus source configured to provide stimuli to the subject;

one or more sensors that generate output signals conveying information related to one or more physiological parameters of the subject; and

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a reaction module configured to analyze, based on the one or more physiological parameters, reactions to the stimuli provided by the stimulus source;

a sleep stage module configured to;

i) generate a sleep stage estimation of the subject based on one or both of the analyzed reactions and/or the one or more physiological parameters, and

ii) determine a probability of accuracy of the sleep stage estimation;

a comparison module configured to determine whether the probability of accuracy breaches a predetermined threshold; and

a stimulus control module configured to, responsive to the probability of accuracy failing to breach the predetermined threshold, control the stimulus source to provide a reassessment stimulus to the subject,

wherein the reaction module is further configured to analyze a reaction to the reassessment stimulus, wherein the sleep stage module is further configured to reassess one or both of the sleep stage estimation of the subject and/or the probability of accuracy based on the analyzed reaction to the reassessment stimulus.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a parameter determination module configured to determine one or more physiological parameters based on the generated output signals.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physiological parameters pertain to brain function of the subject.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physiological parameters pertain to movement of the subject.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the stimulus control module controls the stimulus source repeatedly to provide reassessment stimuli of increasing intensity until the probability of accuracy breaches the predetermined threshold.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a learning module configured to determine effectiveness of different stimuli to evoke reactions corresponding to higher probabilities of accuracy.

7. A method to detect sleep stages of a subject, the method comprising:

providing stimuli to the subject;

generating output signals conveying information related to one or more physiological parameters of the subject;

analyzing, based on the one or more physiological parameters, reactions to the stimuli;

generating a sleep stage estimation of the subject based on the one or more physiological parameters;

determining a probability of accuracy of the sleep stage estimation;

determining whether the probability of accuracy breaches a predetermined threshold;

providing, responsive to the probability of accuracy failing to breach the predetermined threshold, a reassessment stimulus to the subject;

analyzing a reaction to the reassessment stimulus based on one or more physiological parameters; and

reassessing one or both of the sleep stage estimation and/or the probability of accuracy based on the analyzed reaction to the reassessment stimulus.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining one or more physiological parameters based on the generated output signals.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more physiological parameters pertain to brain function of the subject.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more physiological parameters pertain to movement of the subject.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein providing a reassessment stimulus to the subject is performed repeatedly with increasing intensity until the probability of accuracy breaches the predetermined threshold.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining effectiveness of different stimuli to evoke reactions corresponding to higher probabilities of accuracy.

13. A system configured to detect sleep stages of a subject, the system comprising:

means for providing stimuli to the subject

means for generating output signals conveying information related to one or more physiological parameters of the subject;

means for analyzing reactions to the stimuli, wherein operations of the means for analyzing is based on the one or more physiological parameters;

first means for generating a sleep stage estimation of the subject based on the one or more physiological parameters, wherein the first means is further configured for determining a probability of accuracy of the sleep stage estimation;

means for determining whether the probability of accuracy breaches a predetermined threshold;

means for providing, responsive to the probability of accuracy failing to breach the predetermined threshold, a reassessment stimulus to the subject; and

means for analyzing a reaction to the reassessment stimulus based on one or more physiological parameters,

wherein the first means is further configured for reassessing one or both of the sleep stage estimation and/or the probability of accuracy based on the analyzed reaction to the reassessment stimulus.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

means for determining one or more physiological parameters based on the generated output signals.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more physiological parameters pertain to brain function of the subject.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more physiological parameters pertain to movement of the subject.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for providing stimulus operates repeatedly with increasing intensity until the first means determines that the probability of accuracy breaches the predetermined threshold.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising:

means for determining effectiveness of different stimuli to evoke reactions corresponding to higher probabilities of accuracy.